Why Didn't I (The Good Version!)
by Corynth
Summary: Yay! The good version! Yes, I do know it's Wednesday and I said I'd post on Monday, but oh well. Okay, this is soooo much better than the first one; I wrote that before I was fully awake. Oh, and a formal apolgy to Princess Fred the Third of the F.F.F. fo
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A.N. Please r/r. I don't know if I like this. I'll post a sequel if you want it, unlike some of my other fics... ::grins sheepishly:: I own absolutely nothing from Harry Potter. Evan and Jared own the song verse from 'Crazy for this Girl. Oh, and I know Hermione and Ron didn't see Harry immediately after the, um, incident... but oh well. :)  
  
  
  
  
Why didn't I  
  
By Corynth   
  
  
She was the one to hold me, the night the sky fell down. And what was I thinking when, the world didn't end, why   
didn't I, I don't know!  
  
There were people everywhere, running about in total confusion. Ron and Hermione however, stood perfectly still, in the midst of it all, trying to understand what was going on.  
  
"Ron," whispered Hermione, "Oh, Ron..."  
  
She trailed off, not really sure what to say.  
  
Ron looked angrily around. "What the hell is going on here?" she said to no one in particular. He then grabbed Hermione's hand and yanked her away, as if walking could answer his questions. Neither of the two noticed that they were holding hands. If they had, perhaps they would have realized something.  
  
"Professor!" Hermione shrieked suddenly, breaking away from Ron, and dashing forward. "Professor wait!"  
  
Professor McGonagall turned to see Ron and Hermione dashing toward her. Hermione looked as if she were in the middle of a nervous collapse, Ron looked angry and upset.  
  
"Professor!" Hermione panted, reaching her. "What's going on? Where's Harry? Please?  
Please!"  
  
Professor McGonagall looked down at the hysterical girl and did something she had never ever done before. She reached out and pulled Hermione into a tight hug.  
  
"Oh Hermione!" she gasped, tears welling up in her eyes. "I just don't now! I don't know and I'm scared!"  
  
Realizing what she had just said, Professor McGonagall pulled herself away from Hermione.   
  
"I-I" she stammered. "Er, why don't just go and sit in the stands. I will... alert you if, I-I  
mean when Harry returns.   
  
With that she hurried away, wondering what on earth had possessed her to do such a thing.  
  
Ron and Hermione did as they were told, and a few minutes later they flopped down on one of the benches in the quidditch stands.   
  
Hermione started sniffling, then crying, then buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Ron rolled his eyes.   
  
"Oh come here," he said.  
  
Hermione looked up, looking confused and rather pathetic. "What?"  
  
"Come here," repeated Ron, holding out his arms to her. "I'll make you feel better."  
  
Not really knowing why, Hermione went over to him, and settled into his arms.  
  
Ron wasn't sure how to go about this; He'd never done anything like it before.  
  
"I'm scared," Hermione whispered.  
  
Ron's arms tightened around her. "Me too."  
  
Slowly their eyelids began to droop; the tension and stress of the night had worn them down.  
  
Hermione yawned and thought, I'll just take a little rest...  
  
~ * ~  
  
"Hermione! Ron! Wake up!"  
  
Hermione and Ron jolted awake, gazed around them bemusedly for a moment, then jumped up, surveying Professor McGonagall with anticipation.   
  
Professor McGonagall was standing before them, rocking on the balls of her feet, looking both terrified and ecstatic at the same time. "He's back!" she yelled, her glassed askew, "He's back!"  
  
Hermione and Ron dashed down the steps of the stands, tripping and stumbling everywhere. Once on the ground, they looked wildly around, searching for their friend.  
  
"There!" Hermione screamed, pointing.  
  
Sure enough, Ron and Hermione could see Harry limping into the castle with Professor Moody.  
  
Hermione made to run after them, but Ron grabbed her arm.  
  
"Wait!" he said, "Hermione, I..."  
  
He stopped. He couldn't tell her now. Everything was so frantic. But still... Tonight, he'd held her, hand and body. Now he never wanted to let go. He loved her and he wanted to tell her now.  
  
Hermione shook her head as Ron opened his mouth again.  
  
"Later Ron," she said shortly, and hurried off after Harry.  
  
Ron watched her go.  



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A Summer to Behold (Why Didn't I part 2)  
By Corynth  
  
  
Ron had to admit to himself that this feeling was not new. He'd started to notice her more and more lately, until he thought of nothing else. And now she was coming to his house.  
  
Ron knew that the last thing he should have on his mind was a girl. She should be worried about You-Know-Who and what effects he would have, and was having now, on his family. And he was worried. Really worried. But then, in his haze of utter darkness and despair, she would come walk into his mind, with that shining smile, and he would stop worrying. Then he would remember that You-Know-Who was going after (as Malfoy had said it) mudbloods, and he'd start worrying for her safety. All summer Ron had ridden this roller coaster of worry and contentment, waiting only for today, when she would come round the burrow.   
  
"Hermi!"  
  
Ginny voice suddenly rang out from downstairs, and Ron was running, running faster, he burst through the door to the living room in time to see her hugging Ginny saying,  
  
"I missed you so much!"  
  
Hermione pulled away from her a spotted Ron. She blushed a deep scarlet and Ginny started coughing very false coughs. Hermione hit her without taking her eyes off Ron, and both girls collapsed into laughter.  
  
"Well Ron, would you look at that. Our little Hermione had become a giggly girl over the summer!"  
  
"Harry!"  
  
Hermione went over to Harry and gave him a hug. When Harry closed his eyes, Ron could see he was really glad to have Hermione in his arms. Ron wasn't jealous though. When Ron had confessed to Harry how he felt about Hermione, Harry had talked about how much Hermione meant to him, and how he was worried about her. Ron had been worried for a little while, but Harry was quick to assure him that he harbored no special feelings toward Hermione.  
  
"I'll leave that to you, Ron," he'd said with a grin.  
  
Hermione and Harry separated, and Hermione looked at Ron. He really, really wanted a hug, but all he got was a shy little smile.  
  
"What?" said Ron, mustering all his courage, "I don't get a hug too?"  
  
Hermione laughed and threw her arms around him. She even kissed him. On the cheek, but still, it sent Ron into the stars.   
  
Ron was still circling the moon when Hermione's voice reached his ear, far away on earth.   
  
"I want to talk to you. Meet me outside at midnight."  
  
With that she turned away and went up to Ginny's room. Ron didn't see her until dinner, when she carefully avoided his eyes.  
  
  
  
A.N. Cliffhanger or no? If you want the next part tell me, if you don't tell me. :) I would also like to share this little quote with you. This is Joanne Kathleen Rowling's answer to an internet chat question of is there something going on between Ron and Hermione? (Okay, not exact wording of the question, but oh well, it was the same thing.)  
  
"... Yes there is something going on between them, but Ron doesn't know it yet. Typical Boy!"  
  
That is all I have to say. :) Please Review!  
  



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Four Wishing Stars  
By Corynth   
  
"Hmmmm," said Ginny, "How about this?"  
  
She held up a skimpy blue dress. Hermione, sitting on Ginny's bed, sighed loudly, and flopped back, bouncing on the mattress.  
  
"Mmkay," said Ginny," hanging the dress back up in her closet, "take that as a no."  
  
Hermione sat up.  
  
"I don't have a figure to fit into that dress! And even if I did, I'm not trying to seduce him into saying yes, I want him love me for me."  
  
Ginny continued flipping through dresses. "Not that easy."  
  
"What?" asked Hermione.  
  
Ginny abandoned the clothes and sat down next to Hermione.   
  
"I said it's not that easy. You have to make Ron realize that he loves you! He's such a boy, he's not going to realize it on his own!"  
  
Hermione considered her.   
  
"I don't think he's stupid, Ginny," she said, "I think he might have reached a decision, whether it be in my favor or not, about how he feels about me."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
"We're talking about Ron here, Herm."  
  
"Ginny. I know darn well who we're talking about."  
  
"Well I was just saying-"  
  
"I know what you were saying, too."  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Can I interrupt this little love fest?"  
Ginny and Hermione looked up at the door. Harry was leaning against the frame, grinning.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Please do."  
  
"Ron likes your yellow dress, Ginny."  
  
Ginny looked at him, puzzled.   
  
"Yeah, I know, he's told me that before. What... Oh... I get it."  
  
Harry was nodding vigorously and winking.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Hermione, who might have sensed that Ginny and Harry had been conversing in private, making sure that the little meeting between Ron and Hermione went well. Ginny's had been trying to act all day as thought she didn't know Ron loved Hermione just as much as she loved him. She fully believed that Hermione would be happier if she found out on her own.  
  
"Nothing," said Harry and Ginny together. Harry left without saying anything  
more. Ginny smiled goofily after him.  
  
"Ginny, can we focus on me?"  
  
Ginny turned back to Hermione.   
  
"Sorry, honey," she said. "Now. You are wearing the yellow dress and that is final. No, no ifs, ands, buts, or any other comments, contradictions, questions, etc."  
  
She pulled her yellow dress out of the closet and tossed it at Hermione.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron nervously plucked at his nice shirt. "What if she says she doesn't love me, and our friendship ends up being ruined altogether?"  
  
"She won't," said Harry firmly, "Now. Go. It's 11:57."  
  
Ron took a deep breath and walked out of his room and down the stairs.  
  
  
"Do I look alright?"  
  
Ginny gave Hermione a quick and careful hug, so as not rumple Hermione's dress.  
  
"Hermi, you look great."  
  
Hermione shivered. "I have never been more nervous in my life!"  
  
Ginny pushed her gently through the door.   
  
"It's going to be fine!" she assured Hermione, "Just tell him how you feel!"  
  
With that she closed the door in Hermione's face, so that Hermione couldn't decide to back out.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and walked slowly down the stairs. To keep herself from bursting into tears with nervousness, she recited the steps she was taking in her head.  
  
Down one flight, down another. Living room. Kitchen. Back door. Open the back door. Hermione Granger, open that door! Opening back door. Yard. More Yard. Fence. Ron.  
  
"Ron!"  
  
She said it a bit too loudly, simply because of nerves, but from the look on Ron's face, Hermione could see he felt the same way she did: scared.  
  
  
In the doorway, Ginny was leaning partway into the yard. She wasn't just going to listen to Hermione's description second hand. She wanted to see this for herself.   
  
"Guess I'm not the only spy in this house," whispered someone from behind Ginny. She spun around and smiled.   
  
"What'd I miss?" asked Harry, still in a whisper.  
  
Ginny shook her head. "Nothing." She grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him over to the door. She moved over so that he could squeeze next to her and they both leaned over to get a good view of Ron and Hermione.  
  
  
Hermione leaned against the fence to steady herself. She was seriously worried that she was going to fall forward and into Ron. It wasn't like she would have minded that, but how could she know how Ron would react?  
  
Hermione wasn't saying anything, so Ron tried to compliment her.   
  
"You look nice, Mione."  
  
Hermione looked at him.   
  
"What did you call me?"  
  
"Hermione."  
  
Hermione smiled. "No you didn't. You called me Mione."  
  
Ron could have killed himself. Had he really called her Mione? He only called Hermione that in his head, never, ever, to her face.  
  
"Well, I..." he trailed off, not really sure what to say. "Hey, didn't you want to talk to me?"  
  
Hermione took a deep breath. Okay, speech time.   
  
"Ron," she began.... And then she stopped. Oh no. She couldn't remember the rest. Ron... Ron...Ron what?  
  
Suddenly she started speaking, pushed merely by her heart, spilling words that were the only ones to express how she was feeling.  
  
"Ron, I realized a while ago that you mean more to me than anything, and what with You-Know-Who back in power, anything can happen, and I don't want to lose you, and I'm so scared, and we could be ripped apart at any moment, and I just wanted to tell you so you would know and I could clear my conscious, because if I don't tell you this Ron, I'm never going to be able to live with my self, and, and... you are just so much to me, my best friend in the whole world, and... And I love you!"  
  
And she burst into tears.  
  
Without wasting a moment, Ron fought his way through all his reservations, he left his fear and his dignity behind, he grabbed her and pulled her to him, held her tight against him, and he kissed her as hard as he could.   
  
  
Ginny found that she was crying.   
  
Harry looked at her.   
  
"Hey," he said," snaking an arm around her shoulders, "What's the matter?"  
  
Ginny looked at him. What was the matter? Was she just overwhelmed with the sweetness of Hermione's kiss, and her good fortune? Or was she jealous, craving that Harry would take her in his arms and kiss her like that?  
  
"I love you," Ginny whispered the words that had grown inside her for so long. After they were out of her mouth, she regretted them immediately, but Harry just smiled.  
  
"What?" he said, "I don't get a run on sentence?"  
  
Ginny found herself laughing, and Harry was laughing too, and they were leaning against each other in fitful gales of laughter, and then they were kissing.   
  
  
As the moon shone over the four of them, four stars twinkled, in response to four wishes.  



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